α-Helical cathelicidins are modulated in the placenta and fetal spleen of Neospora caninum experimentally infected cattle

BURUCÚA, MERCEDES; MARIN, MAIA; HECKER, YANINA; QUINTANA, SILVINA; ODEÓN, ANSELMO; CANTÓN, GERMÁN; COBO, EDUARDO; MOORE, PRANDO

Mar del Plata

Encuentro; XIII Encuentro Biólogos en Red; 2018

Asociación de Jóvenes Investigadores en Formación

Innate immune responses at the maternal-fetal interface are key in the pathogenesis of Neospora caninum, an obligate parasite that causes abortion in cattle. Among antimicrobial peptides, cathelicidins are small cationic peptides which have generated great interest as multifunctional molecules that mediate various host responses, including microbicidal action, chemotaxis and activation of cytokine secretion. Their functions are poorly characterized during the immunological response against N. caninum. Herein, we determined the gene expression of two α-helical cathelicidins in the placenta and fetuses from both non-infected pregnant heifers and pregnant heifers intravenously challenged with live tachyzoites of NC-1 strain of N. caninum on day 70 of gestation. On day 104 of pregnancy, mRNA expression of bovine cathelicidins BMAP27 and BMAP28 was determined by RT-qPCR. Relative expression analysis was performed with REST software (P